How Small Businesses Buy Computers

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Attention small business owners: PC makers should just say thank you to you right now! In a raggedy economy, computer hardware sales have been in the dumper for months. One bright spot on the horizon is you.

According to IDC research, Individual shoppers and small businesses in the United States will spend about $18 billion dollars on PC-related peripherals, software applications, services and other accessories. Just to be clear: that's $18 billion on PC gear, not the PC itself.

Most of those extras are purchased at the time of the PC sale. 26% of that extra gear is purchased within the first three months of sale.

As for PC sales; small businesses tend to buy desktops to replace older model desktops and laptops tend to be an additional computer to what businesses already own.

The average business with less than 100 employees spends about $280 in extras (security software, monitors, printers, etc.) per computer.

Why am I telling you this? It's certainly helpful if you sell tech equipment to small businesses. But assuming you are the small business making computer purchasing decisions, isn't it nice to have a benchmark of what everyone else is doing?

Renee Oricchio

Renee Oricchio is a technology writer and former supervising news producer for CNN Financial News. She has been covering the computer industry since 1987. @oricchio